In 2009, the new variety show „Osbournes Reloaded“ for the Fox network happened. This series debuted on 31st March 2009, but it was canceled after the first episode. Now there are rumours, that eight new episodes will be filmed in 2015.
But when Alice Cooper, who was accompanied by Lita Ford, said: „And the Grammy goes to …. ‚Crest of a Knave‘ – Jethro Tull“, everybody at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles was completely surprised – and some booing filled the room.
As Metallica were expected to win the award, Jethro Tull’s record label Chrysalis Records decided, that nobody is going to attend the ceremony. Singer Ian Anderson later said, the he was „lucky“ for not attending the ceremony, admitting that there was „no way [he] could have accepted [the award] under those circumstances.“ After thiscontroversy, this advert was issued in some music magazines.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 30th December!
Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull)
Happy birthday to drummer Clive William Bunker, who was born on the 30th December 1946 in Luton, Bedfordshire (UK). Clive was the original drummer in Jethro Tull and a member from 1968 until 1971. With the band, he recorded the first four classic studio albums „This Was“ (1968), „Stand Up“ (1969), „Benefit“ (1970) and „Aqualung“ (1971).
Clive Bunker began playing in a band called „The Warriors“ in the sixties. Later he formed with guitarist Mick Abrahams the band McGregor’s Engine, before both founded in 1967 with Ian Anderson and Glenn CornickJethro Tull. Shortly after the release of the LP „Aqualung“, Clive Bunker decided to leave the band, get married and spend more time with his wife. Barriemore Barlow, a school friend of frontman Ian Anderson, took over his place.
Clive about his decision: „I had always told Ian, ‚If I find the right lady, I’ll be gone,‘ and I did just that. That was just at the start of their world touring in 1972, and I wouldn’t have been back in England for ages at a time. So I thought that I might as well end it then. Besides, Barrie was always in the background anyway, so I knew I wasn’t going to put them in a difficult situation. You must understand that back then, we didn’t have any time off; it was non-stop work, and I wanted to spend time with my wife.“
Interesting note: Doane Perry, who became the new Jethro Tull drummer in 1984, was taught one of his first drum lessons ever by Clive Bunker! I did an interview with Doane and he talks about this historic meeting – you can stream the conversation here (the topic starts at appr. 19:10 min)!
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Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 21st December!
Happy birthday to Frank Vincent Zappa, who was born on the 21st December 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland! The American musician was one of the most innovative and outstanding artists in rock history, who recorded over 60 albums of nearly all kind of music from Rock to Jazz up to Avant-Garde, Classical and contemporary music.
In 1966 his first album “Freak Out!” with The Mothers of Invention was released. With this double LP set, Frank Zappa became very fast the new and radical voice in the music scene. The follow-ups “Absolutely Free”, “Lumpy Gravy” (both 1967) and “We’re Only in It for the Money” (1968) proved his innovative and fresh style of mixing all kinds of music. With “Uncle Meat“ (1969) Zappa and his group went another step further into Avant-Garde, before Frank recorded his first solo album “Hot Rats” (featuring guest vocals Captain Beefheart on “Willie the Pimp”). This LP is still considered as one of the first Jazz-Rock-Fusion recordings ever. In the seventies Frank Zappa entered the charts with the milestones “Over-Nite Sensation” (1973), “Apostrophe” (1974), “One Size Fits All” (1975), “Sheik Yerbouti” (1978 – feat. the hit single “Bobby Brown„) and the trilogy “Joe’s Garage” (1979). Also in the eighties the multi-instrumentalist recorded further albums and in November 1993 the orchestral music piece “The Yellow Shark“, which was recorded live in Europe one year before, hit the stores. Only one month later, Frank Zappa passed away. He died on the 4th December 1993 from prostate cancer at the age of 53.
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Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 9th December!
On the 9th December 1966 the Cream debut „Fresh Cream“ was released. It was not only the first LP for the British supergroup feat. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker – this LP marked also the first release for the new independent label Reaction Records, which was run by procuder Robert Stigwood. On the same day the sinlge „I feel free“ hit also the stores. This song is not featured on the UK edition of the LP, but it has been put on the US release (instead of the Willie Dixon cover „Spoonful„), which was first available in January 1967. The recording sessions for „Fresh Cream“ took place at the Rayrik and Ryemuse Studios in London from July until October 1966. The album reached No. 6 on the UK and No. 39 on the US chart.
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Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 4th December!
On the 4th December 1993 one of the most outstanding musicians passed away:Frank Vincent Zappa died at the age of 53. The American musician was born on the 21st Decmeber 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. Zappa composed in his long and unique career nearly all kind of music from Rock to Jazz up to Classical. In over thirty years the multiinstrumentalist recorded over 60 albums.
In the fifties Frank Zappa met Don Van Vliet who later changed his stagename into Captain Beefheart. They became friends and around that time Frank started to play drums in a Californian band called „The Blackouts“. In 1957 he improved more and more his guitar skills. During the early sixties Zappa wrote, produced and recorded on many different projects. In 1965 he joined the local band „Soul Giants“ by invitation from Ray Collins, who asked him to take over as the guitarist. Shortly after that the group was renamed in The Mothers and Zappa became the frontman. In 1966 the label Verve insisted to change the name into The Mothers of Invention and the debut album „Freak Out!“ was released. The double LP-set features a very innovative mixture of all kind of music genres and showed Zappa as a very radical and new voice in the music scene. In 1967 the second album „Absolutely Free“ featuring the songs „Plastic People“ and „Brown Shoes don’t make it“ hit the stores. Zappa about this record: „We’re satirists, and we are out to satirize everything.“
The follow-up „Lumpy Gravy“ was another prove of Zappa’s unbelievable diversity in music. After moving with his wife Gail Zappa (born Adelaide Gail Sloatman) and hisbandto New York, the milestone „We’re Only in It for the Money“ (1968) was released. The cover was designed as a parody of The Beatles‚ „Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.“ In the same year „Cruising with Ruben & the Jets“ was recorded and in 1969 the opulent „Uncle Meat“ feat. the track „King Kong“ confirmed one more Zappa’s widely creativeness. Then the band disbanded and Frank Zappa released his first official solo album called „Hot Rats“ featuring the songs „Peaches en Regalia“ and „Willie the Pimp“ (guest vocals by Captain Beefheart). This LP is still considered as one of the first Jazz-Rock-Fusion recordings.
In the seventies a short reunion of The Mothers of Invention took place and with the three LPs „Over-Nite Sensation“ (1973), „Apostrophe“ (1974) and „One Size Fits All“ (1975) Frank Zappa entered the album charts and earned commercial success. Also with the following albums, especially „Sheik Yerbouti“ with the hit single „Bobby Brown“ (1978) and the trilogy „Joe’s Garage“ (1979).
In the Eighties, Frank Zappa continued recording a wide range of records with all different music styles. On the 2nd November 1993 his last recording was released: The orchestral music piece „The Yellow Shark„, which was recorded live in Europe one year before, hit the stores. One month later, on the 4th December 1993, Frank Zappa passed away. He died from prostate cancer.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 3rd December!
Happy birthday to John Michael Osbourne, who is better known as „Ozzy„! The also called „Prince of Darkness“ was born on the 3rd December 1948 in Birmingham, UK. In the seventies the singer joined Black Sabbath, whose unique and very dark, heavy sound has been considered as one of the developers of the Heavy Metal genre. Until his leaving in 1979 he recorded many milestones with Black Sabbath, like „Paranoid„, „War Pigs“ (both 1970) and „Iron Man“ (1971).
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 25th November!
Nicholas Rodney „Nick“ Drake (19th June 1948 – 25th November 1974)
On the 25th November 1974 the British singer and songwriter Nick Drake died in his sleep at the age of only 26 years. In his very short career he recorded the three albums „Five Leaves Left“ (1969), „Bryter Layter“ and „Pink Moon“ (both 1972). Although all of them didn’t succeed and sold very badly, these recordings became legendary milestones. Nick Drake suffered from depression and on the 25th November 1972 he died from an overdose of amitriptyline. It was never resolved if it was an accident or suicide.
The automobile concern Volkswagen featured Drake’s song „Pink Moon“ in a TV spot in 2000. After that, all recordings by Nick Drake sold more than in the previous thirty years.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 17th November!
Martin Barre & John Glascock (Jethro Tull – 1978)
On the 17th November two remarkable things happened, which are connected to the British Rock band Jethro Tull:
In 1946 guitarist Martin Lancelot Barre was born in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Barre joined Jethro Tull in 1969 after the departing of Mick Abrahams and his first recordings with Ian Anderson & Co. can be heard on the second Tull album „Stand Up“ (1969). Martin Barre was the long time member in the line-up beside singer, flute player and acoustic guitarist Ian Anderson. He left Jethro Tull in 2011 and concentrated on his solo works.
Barre’s signature solo on the 1971 Jethro Tull standard „Aqualung“ is still considered as one of the most outstanding guitar solos. It was voted by the readers of „Guitar Player“ magazine as one of the top rock guitar solos of all time.
And on the 17th November 1979, John Glascock, the bass player for Jethro Tull from 1976 until 1979, died at the age of only 28 years. Glascock suffered a congenital heart valve defect, which was worsened by an infection caused by an abscessed tooth. Before joining Jethro Tull to replace Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond on bass, Glascock was a member of the Blues band Chicken Shack and later of the progressive Rock band Carmen. Ritchie Blackmore mentioned John’s fantastic skills in an interview with „Guitar Player“ in September 1978; „John Glascock is a brilliant bass player, the best in the business in rock.“ John Glascock’s playing can be heard on the Tull albums „Too old to Rock’n’Roll: Too young to die!“ (1976), „Songs from the Wood“ (1977), „Heavy Horses„, the live album „Bursting Out“ (both 1978) and some parts on „Stormwatch“ (1979).
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Welcomt to my Music Diary – today for the 11th November!
Black Sabbath (2011)
On the 11th November 2011, the four original members of Black Sabbath (Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward) announced that they are going to reunite. And it was also announced that a new record followed by a world tour in 2012 will happen. But the plans and the schedules were crossed because of Tony Iommi‘s health issue and Bill Ward’s contract problems – so the tour had to be postponed. Finally, the first Black Sabbath show since 2005 took place on the 21st May 2012 in Birmingham at the O2 Academy. Tommy Clufetos filled in for Ward playing the drums.
On the 10th June 2013 the comeback album „13“ was released and went straight to number one in many countries like USA, UK and Germany.
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On the 5th March 2002, the reality show „The Osbournes“ had its premiere on MTV!
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